Ink jet printing process

Abstract

An ink jet printing process for improving the dye density and fixability of an ink jet image comprising: a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a mixture of an anionic, water-dispersible polyester ionomer and a hydrophilic polymer; and b) applying droplets of a liquid ink on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the ink comprising water, humectant and a water-soluble cationic or basic dye.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An ink jet printing process for improving the dye density and fixability of an ink jet image comprising: 
       a) providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a mixture of an anionic, water-dispersible polyester ionomer and a hydrophilic polymer; and  
       b) applying droplets of a liquid ink to impact upon said image-recording layer in an image-wise manner to form a printed ink jet image in said image-recording layer, said ink comprising water, humectant and a water-soluble cationic or basic dye, said printed ink jet image being fixed within said image-recording layer.  
     
     
       2. The process of claim  1  wherein said polyester ionomer has the following general formula:                    
       wherein: 
       A is the residue of one or more diol components which together comprise 100 mole % of recurring units and is represented by the following structure:  
       
         
           —O—(CHR 2 CHR 3 O) m —R 1 —(OCHR 2 CHR 3 ) n —O— 
         
       
        wherein:  
       m and n independently represent an integer from 0-4;  
       R 1  represents S, an alkylene group of 1 to about 16 carbon atoms; a cycloalkylene group of 5 to about 20 carbon atoms; a cyclobisalkylene group of about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, a bi- or tri-cycloalkylene group of about 7 to about 16 carbon atoms, a bi- or tri-cyclobisalkylene group of about 9 to about 18 carbon atoms, an arenebisalkylene group of from 8 to about 20 carbon atoms or an arylene group of 6 to about 12 carbon atoms, a carbinol-terminated polydimethylsiloxane segment; and  
       R 2  and R 3  each independently represents H, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group of 1 to about 6 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group of about 6 to about 12 carbon atoms;  
       B is the residue of a diacid component which comprises 8 to 50 mole % of recurring units and is represented by one or more of the following structures:                    
        wherein M °  represents an alkali metal, an ammonium group, a phosphonium group, a sulfonium group, a guanidinium group, or an amidinium group; and  
       D is the residue of a diacid component which comprises 50 to 92 mole % of recurring units and is represented by one or more of the following structures:                    
        wherein p represents an integer from 2 to 12.  
     
     
       3. The process of claim  2  wherein A represents ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, thiodiethanol, cyclohexanedimethanol, bisphenol A, trans-1,4-cyclohexanediol, dodecanediol, cis-exo-2,3-norbornanediol, 5-norbornene-2,2-dimethanol, hydroquinone bis(2-hydroxyethylether, or carbinol terminated polydimethylslioxane. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim  2  wherein A is a mixture of diethylene glycol and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim  2  wherein B is                    
     
     
       6. The process of claim  2  wherein D is                    
     
     
       7. The process of claim  1  wherein said hydrophilic polymer is gelatin. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim  1  wherein the weight ratio of polyester to hydrophilic polymer is from about 1:9 to about 8:2. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim  1  wherein said dye is an azo dye, a triphenylmethane dye, an azine dye, an oxazine dye, or a thiazine dye, each having an amine salt residue or a quaternary ammonium group. 
     
     
       10. The process of claim  1  wherein said dye is a pyrazoleazoindole cationic dye. 
     
     
       11. The process of claim  1  wherein said dye is a pyrazoleazotriazole cationic dye. 
     
     
       12. The process of claim  1  wherein said dye is an oxazine cationic dye. 
     
     
       13. The process of claim  1  wherein said dye is a water soluble salt of